Special Delivery
by HolmesHarleyWatson
Summary: Just what kind of deal did Charles Lee Ray strike for the kind of immortality he has? And with whom? Delve into Charles Lee Ray's past as we explore his relationship with Lilith Laveau; a brilliant young Voodoo Witch who is the youngest Daughter of the infamous Marie Laveau; as well as his toxic relationship with the blackmailing Tiffany Valentine...
1. Chapter 1

Ooof, here I am with another new story. Y'all are probably sick of me! LOL. No worries, I am still juggling all of them, and nothing has been abandoned. This OC/Charles Lee Ray (Chucky) has been circling my brain for a few years now. Like all of my stories, this is a totally AU fic! Time to let them out to play for Halloween…..

**Chapter One: Looking for immortality in all the wrong places**

Lilith _hated_ the monotony of receiving packages for her Father at the facility. Nine times out of ten, the items they received from terrified humans were not cursed, haunted, or possessed; merely creepy or boring. The few times they had received actual possessed or cursed items, her Father would lock them away from the mortals for safe keeping, which usually meant away from Lilith too. Her Father could tell her all that he wanted that she was working there with him; that they had some kind of sworn duty to protect the mortals from the "Residents" (Prisoners) at The Laveau Institute for the The Gifted (psychopathically and paranormally insane), but she knew the truth; she was just as much one of his prisoners as Frederick Krueger was. Speaking of which…

"Heya Lilith," Freddy sidled up to the computer where she had been working on researching a supposedly 'cursed' book they had received via UPS an hour earlier.

"Hey. How'd the date go last night? Did Nancy like the brownies I sent?" She asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the computer screen long enough to snort derisively at the sight of him in a white terrycloth robe and his institute issued flip-flops. King of nightmares indeed.

"No need to be a bitch Lil. I had a late night," He said, a shit-eating grin plastered to his face.

"This from the guy who is only awake at night. Did you guys even get to the brownies?" She asked, a tiny part of her envious of his ability to have a relationship; a privilege granted to few. One her Father would never ever grant to her.

"They were breakfast and they were amazing. I wish the locator spell hadn't have found me so quickly, but here I am," He sighed with a shrug and she nodded in understanding, knowing that if he could, he'd never leave Nancy's side.

"Yeah, Dad knows how to stick it in and break it off. Anyways, this book is so not cursed. Boring! Ugh. Now I gotta grab the next box of shit. Wanna keep me company? I could use some, so I don't go….. you know…insane-er." Lilith sighed, gesturing to the empty chair beside her.

"Yeah sure, I should probably put on clothes though. I don't need your old man to see us hanging out with me like this," He replied, disappearing in the direction of his room.

Fred had come a long way in the decade or so that he had been one of her Fathers "residents" and achieving the status he had took a lot of work and serious proof that you were now considerably more docile and complacent than when you had first arrived….

"Can you take this one next? I think that you'll hit a whammy with it," Jeffrey said, bringing her a considerably large box that had been beneath the others. Lilith was about to ask why he thought that it contained anything special when something- _someone?- _within the box began pounding on the side of it, causing Jeffrey to leap back wide-eyed.

"Jesus! Take a pill, I'll get you out of there in a second," She called through the corrugated cardboard, rolling her eyes. There were muffled curses and a few choice threats thrown back at her from within in a voice that was oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't place from where until she ripped open the top and met a pair of familiar ice blue eyes that were set now in a much smaller body than the last time she had seen them…..

"Charles?" She asked softly, backing away as he climbed out of the box. The entire common room had fallen silent as all eyes turned towards the commotion.

"Lilith? What the fuck are you doing here? Where the fuck am I?" He shouted, itching to stab something.

"You didn't keep your end of the bargain, did you?" Lilith asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Listen, all this shit is Tiffany's fault! That fucking bitch turned me in…

"Be quiet! All of this yelling is bound to bring my Father….. shit. Too late," Lilith backed away towards the wall as the lights began to flicker and the windows began rattling in their panes.

The residents that were in the common room enjoying a football game on cable moments before scattered, scurrying back to their rooms and hurriedly closing the doors behind them.

"And who is your Dad exactly?" Chucky asked nonchalantly, as he watched the chaos around him with an anticipatory air.

"You know who my Mother was. Lets just say that my Father is at least a hundred times more powerful, and you've run afoul of him apparently. Just like many others here have," She hissed, grabbing him by the front of his absurd 'Good Guy' coveralls and dragging him forward, making him look her in the eye as she tried to take away some of his bravado before it got them all worse than killed.

"When he askes you anything, show him respect and don't lie because there's no point to, he knows the truth already, he's merely trying to see if you'll be honest with him willingly. Most of the residents call him Father or Highness, nobody ever dares to call Xavier Legba by his name." Lilith breathed before letting him go and whipping around in time to see the shadowy form of her Father appear near the entry way of the most secured ward of the Laveau Institute.

"Have you received an interesting package Daughter?" Papa Legba asked knowingly as he peered down at her from his towering height, much of his form lost to the shadows that always surrounded him save for his glowing red eyes, which were known to pierce the blackness of Hell itself.

"Yes Father I have. It's an old friend of Mother and I, from the shop in Chicago." She replied, bowing with respect and not daring to meet his eyes.

"Yes, it was time I brought him here to serve his time; I had grown tired of waiting for him to turn up on his own," Papa Legba rumbled menacingly as he finally set eyes on the doll containing the indebted soul of Charles Lee Ray, former serial killer who used to be known as The Lakeshore Strangler.

"Papa Legba, I can explain. You see, I had every intention of seeking you out eventually, but-

"Silence you insolent fool! The only thing saving you from a century of slow torture is my Daughters misplaced feelings for you, and even that has you hanging by a thread only because you return them!" Xavier Legba thundered, causing Lilith to steal a quick shocked side glance at Chucky before returning her attention to her Father.

"Lilith, you are in charge of your delinquent little friend while he is here. Teach him the rules of the Institute and keep him out of my sight or I might just send him into the seventh circle with the other betrayers where he belongs," the Deity growled irritably before turning and stalking away, slamming the door of the ward shut behind him.

"Shit! What has him so pissed off?" Freddy had reappeared only after the coast was clear, hastily pulling on a polo as he tried to see what all the excitement was about.

"Oh…. Well I'll be damned, new arrival huh?" He asked Lilith when he noticed the murderous doll that came up to just above her knee.

"Yeah. Do I really need to do an introduction here?" She asked dryly, glancing between the two infamous killers.

"Nah, I've heard of him." Freddy replied with a shrug, unimpressed.

"Yeah, I've heard of you too dream-boy. Don't have the _cajones _to do shit when people are awake, huh?" Chucky goaded slyly, making Freddy sneer at him in annoyance.

"Oh Jesus fuck, can you two not do this right now? You have _way bigger _issues right now for one," Lilith said, jabbing a finger in the dolls chest causing him to take a step back. He definitely wasn't used to people being that handsy with him; in human or doll form.

"Whatever, it sounds like you two need a few minutes. I'll watch the common room," Freddy replied, nodding towards the other residents that were creeping back out of their rooms. Jason Vorhees crept around the trio and headed back in the direction of the television with his sketchbook and pencil case in hand followed closely by Mike Myers, who was clutching a small stack of Batman comics to his chest.

"What the fuck is this place?" Chucky demanded, looking around at all of the infamous murderers perplexed.

Lilith sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose briefly in an attempt to gather her thoughts.

"Follow me," She replied as she lead him down the hall and up a flight of stairs to a private wing of the ward where her rooms were located. She pulled a key from the pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door, motioning him inside before closing and locking it behind her.

"I have to get back to work, so this conversation has to be quick. We are in the bowels of The Laveau Institute For The Gifted; it's a fancy title for prison for the paranormally insane. My Father, as you just saw is Xavier Legba; Papa Legba to every Voodoo practitioner worth their weight in salt. He runs the Institute and he's been trapping paranormals here for the past few decades or so, I've kinda lost track of how long since I don't age the way that a Human would.I say that I work here to make myself less of a prisoner, but the truth is that I am just as bound to the Institute as the rest of you are." She explained quickly, keeping an eye on the clock because she didn't want to leave Freddy in charge for too long.

"So what, he traps everybody here to get his jollies or what? Where's your Mom?" Chucky asked, trying to comprehend how Lilith had ended up here after he had left her in Chicago at a metaphysical shop that she ran with her Mother, Marie Laveau.

"You don't get it, do you? For everything you ask of him there is a price! My Mother owed him too, and now she's in his service until her debts have been repaid. I don't know where he put her or what he's done with her and personally, I don't want to know because its none of my business. The two of them have had their dealings for centuries now and I keep the fuck out of It because I know what's good for me. You're here because you owe him a debt too that wasn't paid. I warned you not to deal with my Mother! I warned you that what you were doing was dangerous, but you never listened to me! You were so obsessed with your own mortality-

"Yeah, well I beat the system, didn't I?" He asked, gesturing to himself smugly.

"So you think that living life as some possessed raggedy Andy doll is beating the system? I got news for you; you didn't beat shit because you're still fucking here with the rest of us!" Lilith snapped, causing her water glass on her desk to shatter and a stack of books to come flying off the shelf behind it.

"You still can't control your powers when you're upset?" He asked, studying her with the same eyes that she had fallen for when she had met him all those years ago.

"No. That's why I'm here; its too dangerous for me to be outside. I….. I hurt people by accident. I can't control the things I do sometimes; I just black out and lose it and when I wake up…" She sighed, turning her back on him and running her hands through her white hair in frustration.

"Lilith, it's fine. It's not your fault; you were born with these powers. After all this time I was hoping that you weren't still blaming yourself for shit that's out of your control." He said, hopping onto the sofa in an attempt to somehow gain a bit more height, which made her laugh.

"God, how can you stand it? You used to be so goddamn tall! What were you, like 6'2"?" She asked as she took a seat beside him awkwardly, trying to reconcile his new form in her mind.

"6' 4". I remember I used to look down at you….. had to stoop when I kissed you that last night before I was killed," He replied, leaning forward now just like he had then, taking her lips in a passionate kiss.


	2. Chapter 2: Party Hardy

**Chapter 2: Party Hardy**

Lilith broke the kiss reluctantly, clearing her throat and blushing. Chucky cocked his head to the side and frowned contemplatively at her as she rose from the sofa.

"As much as I really want to continue that, I have got to get back out there or my Dad will have my ass." She said, shrugging apologetically.

"Wait- you still _want _me? Even…. Even like this?" He asked her incredulously.

"Charles, it's still you in there and I know that it is and after all of this time my feelings for you haven't changed. It's just….." Lilith broke off, running her hands through her white hair again, her wine-colored eyes staring up at the ceiling before her shoulders slumped and she shook her head.

"What? Talk to me," Chucky prompted.

"Sometimes I wish you'd never found us for your own sake, look at what happened to you because-

"Because I was a dumb ass and let myself get cornered Lil'. This didn't have anything to do with you or Marie, it was just shit luck," He shrugged, and she sighed in frustration.

"It's not. But I guess that we agree to disagree for now." Lilith headed for the door and Chucky stood to follow her.

"Oh, right…. You can do whatever you want here, there's cigarettes in the desk drawer and booze in the cabinet; vallum in the bathroom if the mood strikes you-

"Could you use some company out there?" He interrupted her suddenly and he chuckled when he saw how flustered she looked.

"Um…. Okay. Its super boring though most of the time; like you popping out of that box earlier was the most excitement we've seen in well over a month." Lilith said as she locked the door behind them.

"Glad that I can still entertain," He replied wryly, making her snort derisively.

Freddy was still manning the desk when they had come back out, he seemed to be preoccupied as he sketched something out on Jason's sketchbook and then handed him the pencil and pad back so that he could try.

"Thanks for holding down the fort," Lilith said as she took the seat he vacated, and he pulled up another two for Chucky and himself.

"So, its Friday….." Freddy said, rubbing his hands together expectantly.

"Yup. What are your thoughts? Uno and booze?" Lilith asked knowingly.

"Hell yeah, what else?" He affirmed with a dark snicker.

"How about cards against humanity?" Mike Myers had just appeared behind them, holding a brand-new set with expansion packs in his hands.

"Oh Shit! Fuck yeah, I'm so in!" Lilith said, sliding the next UPS box over and ripping it open to find a spirit board.

"Oh Lawd! Look at this dumb shit? 'To Whom It may concern at The Laveau Institute, My Daughter brought this board home after purchasing it in a resale shop while on a trip to London with her class. Shortly after its arrival in our home, we began to experience several instances of terrifying paranormal phenomenon and we believe that the board is either haunted or possessed.' No shit Sherlock, that's kind of the whole point of buying a spirit board in the first damned place; ya know, hence the spirit in the board to maketh the Spirit Board. Why are people so dumb?" Lilith asked as Freddy laughed manically and Chucky rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"So what do we do with it?" He asked her as he dug out the planchette from the packing peanuts and held it up for her to take.

"I just put some general stasis and protection spells on it and ship it upstairs to Dad. He already knows that its here really, he just hates opening his own mail because its tedious," Lilith shrugged as she added the board and planchette to a separate box, sealing it with a few murmured incantations and logging the item into the computers database.

"You make it look so easy," Chucky said softly as he watched her work her craft, causing her to blush once more.

"Yeah well, I'm kind of a natural," She said with a shrug, referring to her parents and their otherworldly identities and talents.

"Yeah, its just been a long time since I've seen you use your gifts," He replied, watching as the magic settled in the air around them, creating a trace of an energy surge.

The rest of the shift was uneventful, and the common room had all but cleared out, save for a few stray residents and the evening orderly.

Mike and Freddy followed Lilith and Chucky back to her rooms, and she transfigured her desk into a gaming table and chairs while Chucky turned on the fireplace to warm the room up.

"Is it always so cold here?" He asked her

"It depends on where exactly the ward is located," She replied, levitating snack trays with Nachos, guac, cheese, and chili onto the table while she began blending margaritas.

"Huh?" he asked.

"The location and position of the ward moves, and it constantly changes; one of Dad's fail safes against escape. The windows are bewitched to make them look like you're always staring out at the same view, but in reality we could be anywhere right now; miles underground or a hundred stories up. Whatever tickles his fancy," Lilith sighed, levitating glasses and the largest pitcher of margaritas Chucky had ever seen to the table. Lilith paused and went to her closet, pulling on a burgundy sweater and taking down a black hoodie before magically shrinking it to fit Charles' new form—well, new to her.

"Here, put this on." She said as she returned to the living area and handed him the hoodie.

"Where the Hell did you get something that was my size?" He asked as he zipped it up and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I shrank something of mine to fit obviously. Contrary to what you may believe, I'm not in the habit of playing hostess to midgets," She replied, nudging him with her shoulder playfully as she took her seat beside him.

"Ah, don't let her fool ya. She's not in the habit of playing Hostess to anyone," Freddy said in a mock conspiratory whisper.

"Oh I know she's a loner. Lilith and I go way back," He replied, recalling their on and off acquaintance-turned friendship- turned romance before his untimely death.

"Just how did you guys meet anyways?" Mike asked, chugging his margarita down and pouring another.

"Years ago my Mother ran a shop in Chicago, but it wasn't just some store that you walk into off the street; my Mother used spells to find people in need of her services. She has a way of seeking her customers out according to their desires or ambitions; so she normally pics and chooses who comes to her, but Charles had some abilities of his own and he was able to find _us. _That singular ability to track us down impressed my Mother, so she granted Charles what he asked and gave him the knowledge he was seeking." Lilith replied, her gaze far away as she recalled the first time he walked into her Mother's salon.

"But there's always a price, eh?" Freddy asked knowingly and Lilith nodded.

"Fair bargain to me," Chucky said with a shrug, causing Lilith to grow a shade paler than usual as they started their game.

An hour and three pitchers of margarita later, the game was in full swing and the four of them were in the best of moods.

"In the beginning there was blank, and The Lord said, let there be blank." Chucky read aloud to a collective giggling and snickering around the table as Lilith, Mike, and Freddy put their cards down and they mixed them up.

"In the beginning there was African Children and the Lord said let there be Ebola. Fred, why do I think this is your answer?" Chucky guffawed to which Freddy high-fived him; the alcohol creating a comfy camaraderie between them, much to Lilith's relief.

"In the beginning there was Bitches and the Lord said let there be packman guzzling cum," Chucky dropped the cards to the table, nearly crying tears of mirth along with the rest of them.

"Jesus, I don't even know if I can read this last one without hyperventilating. In the beginning there was Dem Titties and the Lord said let there be Anal Beads," Their laughter filled the room as Chucky looked between the cards, trying to pick the funniest one.

"I'm going with Bitches and Packman guzzling cum, which sick perverted son of a bitch here does this belong to?" He asked, gasping as Lilith blushed and raised her hand.

"Geeze Babe, you got issues." He replied, shaking his head and laughing as he handed the cards to her.

"Have you met this girl before? There is literally a picture of her in the dictionary next to the definition of the word Issues," Freddy said as Lilith used her magic to swap his customary hat for a flowery bonnet and the table roared anew.

"Ooof she's quick with revenge," Freddy said with a wink as she promptly swapped his hat back.

"What do you think is the most powerful thing your capable of?" Chucky asked as the laughter died down around them and their eyes met once more.

"Like, right now? I don't know. I can come up with a few things, but they'd all be temporary; my magic in here could never be permanent. Dad would never allow it unless it was at his will to do his bidding,"

"Yeah, I figured that." He replied, shaking his head.

"Plus we don't want to make Dad angry by attracting his attention. Too much magic or too big of a spell or enchantment would draw him here in a heartbeat and then we would all have a shit ton of explaining to do,"

For the rest of the evening Chucky barely focused on the game in question as he stole glances at Lilith now and again, seeing the freer side of her that she was only able to show now that she was away from her Mother. He had had glimpses of that liberated girl back in Chicago when he had had opportunities to steal her away from the shop whenever he could shake Tiffany off for long enough to think straight. Lilith had always been quiet and reserved due to her dislike of her appearance; while she had the beautiful Native American, French, and South African features of her Mother, she had been born with albinism due to taxing spell work that her Mother had cast while she was pregnant with her. Lilith loathed her white hair and pale skin and most people were fearful of her deep burgundy eyes which flashed red in the light. To Charles Lee Ray, who had been attracted to all things unusual and unique, she was breathtakingly exotic to behold.

By the end of their evening at around 2:30am, Freddy was half-carrying a very inebriated Michael Myers out of Lilith's rooms, but not before they had each taken a few selfies with him to use against him tomorrow. Chucky began to clear the table while she locked them in for the night, coming back over to him and magicking away the dishes and the general mess that they had made during their drunken card game.

"So, is this your routine every Friday night?" He asked her as she poured them each a nightcap of a dark rich wine she produced from her desk.

"For the most part; the guys are really great to hang out with. Once in a while some of the other residents join us too, but usually its just us three," Lilith replied, handing him the glass as they faced each on the sofa and she sipped the wine in contemplative silence as she thought of his question from earlier.

"Why are you so interested in my powers? You can't use them to escape; there is no way to leave here until he decides that your debt is repaid, if he ever decides that it is," She added with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. Chucky laughed softly then, setting the wine on the coffee table and studying her curiously.

"Why do you always think that I want something like that from you? It's true, I am fascinated by your abilities and I always have been; but I'm pretty fascinated by you in general if I'm being honest here. I know that you don't want to leave here because it isn't safe for you outside without your Fathers protection and I don't want to put you in danger either. I've looked for you for a long time now since I've been in this form, but none of my location enchantments could find you and now that I've found you I've realized that I'm so tired of running. I've not really known a moments peace since the night that I was killed, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since then. I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this," He sighed in frustration as he carded his small fingers through his hair.

"It's the wine," Lilith replied, draining her own glass and setting it on the table.

"No, its not that, trust me I can hold my liquor." He said with a chuckle.

"No, it really is the wine. I put a truth potion into it," She explained with a smirk, sitting back against the cushions and crossing one leg over the other.

"We really have to work on your trust issues." He replied, shrugging and draining his glass as well, not wanting it to go to waste.

"Does that mean you still want to be with me?" She asked softly.

"I've never stopped wanting to be with you, you have to know that. Remember what I gave you that last night?" Chucky asked, covering her hand with his own gingerly; a part of him still expecting her to pull away in disgust at what he was… what he had become. Lilith produced an amulet from beneath her shirt, transfiguring it to its actual form of a unique poppet with long dark brown hair and light blue eyes; Charles Lee Ray's voodoo doll.

"I've kept it safe this whole time. I was hoping that it would lead you back to me somehow," She offered him the doll back, but he took her hands in his own and wrapped the doll within them once more.

"I want you to keep this," He breathed, mere inches from her lips before closing the gap between them and tasting her for the second time that day.

Lilith melted into the kiss, her mind transporting her to that final night ages ago in downtown Chicago when Charles had given her the doll for safe keeping and told her that he loved her, and he wanted her and he was going to come back for her and take her away with him; her Mother's wishes be damned….

Chucky felt a strange tingling sensation radiating from the kiss they were sharing to the roots of his hair and the tips of his fingers and toes as he tasted her, drinking her in as much as he could.

Lilith sighed with pleasure as the kiss deepened and she reached for him blindly, wanting to bring his smaller form as close to her as possible when her hand met the large expanse of a very human chest. She pulled away from him wide-eyed then, scrambling away to the end of the sofa in her shock.

"What? What is it? What happened?" Chucky leapt to his feet and stumbled when he realized that he was standing _over _Lilith. Almost like…

"Charles…" She gasped, staring up at him uncomprehendingly for only a moment before she leapt up and kissed him once more, not caring how he was human again and in her arms; all she knew in that moment was that she needed him.

Charles could feel his body hum and tingle in response to her touch as he deepened the kiss desperately; needing to taste her and have as much of her as he could.

Lilith transported them to her bedroom nearby, barely registering where they were in proximity to the bed as she unzipped the now too small hoodie and peeled it off, tossing it away as she kissed down his throat and over his adams apple, enjoying the sound of a deep moan escape his lips at the feel of her attentions.

Charles ripped her sweater off next, slicing it clean down the middle along with her shirt and bra underneath in one stroke with his sharp blade before lifting her onto the bed. The feel of the cold air of her room combined with her arousal made her shiver and sigh wantonly as her nipples hardened, making him nearly salivate at the sight of her beautiful breasts.

"Lay back for me," He husked primally, throwing off the last of his clothes and climbing onto the bed to loom over her smaller frame. He sucked her left breast into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the perfect pink bud and lightly grazing the peak with his teeth; enjoying the feel of her writhe beneath him and dig her nails into his shoulders yearningly. Charles rolled his hips forward, grinding his erection against her stomach, hissing at the feel of her soft pale skins caress against his hot turgid flesh.

"Fuck…." Lilith whimpered, struggling with the button of her jeans as her hands shook from a combination of arousal, anticipation, and nerves.

"Take it easy, you're shaking." He soothed, moving her hands aside and undoing her jeans himself; divesting her of her jeans and panties at the same time. He captured her lips again in another searing kiss as he reached between them to work her clit, smiling when he felt how wet she was for him already and moving to thrust a finger into her entrance.

"God you're so tight…" He sighed as she cried out below him, kissing and nipping down her jaw until he reached her ear where he suckled on the sweet skin there while he busied himself adding another finger to stretch her while his thumb circled her clit endlessly. He watched transfixed as she arched off of the bed and he was rewarded with the knowledge that he had just given her her first orgasm as her inner walls clenched around his fingers desperately and the first traces of pain on her face were slowly replaced by dazed pleasure.

"Please," Lilith begged, pulling him closer and wrapping her legs around him; every fiber of her being trembling at the feel of his skin against hers. Everything that she ever wanted was there above her for the taking and it made her feel headier and more intoxicated than any liquor or potion ever could.

Charles hovered above her to gaze down at the expanse of her perfect skin; ice blue worshipping snow white as he took in every inch of her beauty until he couldn't stand being without her for another moment. Lilith cried out when he thrust into her, pinning her wrists at either side of her head and letting forth a cry of his own that shocked her to the core with its intensity.

"Oh God….." She gasped as he began to rock into her, creating a steady rhythm that became like a wave pulling her under with an intensity that her body had become powerless to resist.

"Lilith….. fuck, I love you… I love you so much…." He panted, realizing somewhere in the back of his mind that the truth potion had yet to wear off.

"I love you too… please don't fucking stop," She whined, instinctually changing the angle of her hips and allowing him to thrust as deeply as he could.

Charles couldn't hold back any longer as he began fucking her so hard that the headboard began banging loudly against the wall with every thrust he made, her walls fitting him like a glove as he rode her for all he was worth.

Lilith gasped at the feeling of each new sensation washing over her as he filled her and completed her in ways that she didn't even fully comprehend. She gasped when she felt his mouth at her breast again, nuzzling and suckling while he ground himself into her as deep as he could go.

"Fuck me hard…. Gonna cum," She gasped out, raking her nails down his back and drawing blood as she went.

He hissed in pleasure pain and slammed her wrists to the bed again, pounding into her unmercifully; the wet slap of his balls against her ass a rough tempo to the symphony of their cries as they rode each other to orgasm, exploding with screams of passion until the first rays of enchanted/fake dawn filtered through the curtains at her windows.

Charles pulled her exhausted form closer to him then, something possessive waking in him from a not so dormant place as sleep finally consumed him.


	3. Chapter 3: It's Complicated

Chapter 3: It's Complicated.

Lilith had been awakened mid-morning by her phone's alarm going off, reminding her that it was Saturday and her Father had wanted to meet with her to go over inventory of supplies and inventory of the special items that were in their possession to be sure that they remained safely bound. She felt sore and sleepy, but smiled happily as she turned towards Charles; who had returned to doll form at some point during the early hours of dawn. She carefully brushed his auburn bangs out of his face (mindful of the stitches and staples, unsure if he still felt pain from them or not) and watched for a moment as he breathed deeply in his peaceful rest before carefully shifting away from him as she rose and pulled on her robe. She pulled out a blouse, slacks, bra, and panties at random and tiptoed to the bathroom for a quick shower; mentally reminding herself to leave her toiletries on the side of the tub so Charles could reach them if he woke while she was gone. When she stepped out a few moments later, she charmed her hair and body dry and magicked her clothes on, blushing when she noticed the evidence of several of his passionate kisses on her neck and shoulders and deciding to leave them in place; her Father would know about what happened between them, so there was no point in hiding the evidence. There was some primal part of her being that was pleased that he had claimed his rights to her in such a way as it were, and she wanted people to see, to know that she belonged to him.

The man-doll in question was still snoring away when she quietly exited the bathroom and paused at her closet; transfiguring some of her clothes into shirts and jeans for him and shrinking them to size before shrinking a pair of her combat boots down to size as well and laying everything out on the bench at the foot of her bed. Lilith magicked her make up and perfume on quickly, scribbled a note for him and set it on top of his new clothes for him to find before leaving the bedroom and softly closing the door behind her. Breakfast was a very simple task (thanks to magic), and she was able to make a Denver scramble, hash browns, and coffee in a flash; eating her portion quickly and setting his under a stasis charm to keep it warm. She snapped two large latte's into existence and levitated them before her as she snatched her bag from behind the sofa and pulled a pouch of tobacco from her desk drawer, shoving it hastily inside. When she had been followed into the hall by the latte's, she paused when she looked down at the key in her hand; she was so used to locking the door when she wasn't 'home'. Lilith left the door unlocked, but quickly cast a recognition charm on it so that it would only allow exit and entrance by Charles or herself; she would have to ask her Father for a spare copy of the key for her….. Boyfriend?

She sighed as she walked along the deserted hall with her mind attempting to focus on her Father; but the soreness of her body combined with a nagging worry that he would wake up and tell her that last night was a fling and he didn't really want to be with her in any capacity other than a possible friend with benefits clouded her thoughts so that she nearly collided with Jeffrey, who was watching over a nearly vacant common room with the exception of Jason, who was watching Saturday morning cartoons and working on a fairly decent sketch of Bugs Bunny.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jeffrey asked with a frown.

"Yeah….. I'm sorry. I guess I was preoccupied," Lilith murmured, side-stepping him and continuing on to the door of the ward; which glowed an electric blue briefly before allowing her and her two latte's to pass.

As Lilith made her way to the lift that would take her up to Xavier Legba's office, she couldn't really help it as she reminisced on how she and Charles had met; and how his life had led him down such a path of darkness….

_**Autumn 1980**_

Charles roughly shook his bangs out of his face; partly to get his hair out of his face and partly to try to shake himself awake enough to make the drive home without crashing his old man's car. _My car; _he corrected himself mentally, Henri Gaspard Ray had passed away nearly six months ago now and Charles and his Mother were left to fend for themselves. His Father's life insurance had been enough to pay off the house, but not enough to keep the taxes and utilities paid and the two of them fed; not to mention gas in their cars and his fees for school, meaning he had had to get a job, and Play Pals Toy Factory had hired him on the spot. At seventeen, Charles cut a tall lanky figure at 6'1" and growing; his height combined with his don't-fuck-with-me-and-I-won't-fuck-with-you-attitude ensured him peace and quiet from his fellow factory workers which was fine with him, he wasn't there to make fucking friends.

"Hey Ray, overtime's available this weekend. You want it?" His foreman Rich had stuck his bald head out of a forklift that was rumbling on idle mid pallet stack.

"Yes Sir," He replied gratefully as he clocked out and returned his card to its proper place in alpha order.

"Good, I can use somebody with your speed. Wish that I could have you full time all the time," Rich said, dropping hints once more as he lamented the fact that Charles was still adamant about at least finishing high school before considering the factory full time.

"I only have nine months until graduation Rich; then I promise you that I'm all yours." He replied as he waved goodnight and left the Foreman and his pallets on the dock. He shrugged his leather jacket on and pulled his pack of cigarettes out; lighting one with his zippo and inhaling deeply, relief washing over him as he unlocked the vintage Cadillac and sank into the driver's seat.

Charles sighed as he pulled out of the near-deserted parking lot and began his arduous journey home, grateful when he found the streets as deserted as the parking lot had been. He flicked on the radio and rolled the window down, letting the wind whip his long hair back from his face and help him keep his eyes open as he turned onto the expressway on ramp that would lead him home. He tried to run through the chapter they were studying in History in his head due to a test he had in five short hours; and if he went straight to sleep when he got home, he would get about four hours sleep before having to roll his ass out of bed and rush to school.

When he pulled in, the kitchen light was on and he could see his Mothers silhouette through the gauzy curtains as she sat at the table waiting for him. Charles' heart ached for her as he made his way inside and saw that she was half-dozing with an unfinished game of solitaire laid out on the dining room table before her and a long ago burned away cigarette in the ash tray beside her.

"Ma, come on and get upstairs; its one in the morning." He said, shaking her shoulder gently to wake her.

"Oh… I'm glad you're home Baby, you should eat something. I made dinner," She said, patting his hand as she rose stiffly from the table.

"Actually Ma, I think that I'm just gonna hit the hay. I'm exhausted," Charles confessed as he attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes once again.

"That job is too much on you, you should at least wait until you finish school before-

"Mom, the bills aren't gonna pay themselves around here, okay? Besides, I'm the Man of the house now. Dad would have wanted you taken care of as much as possible, you know that he worried about you." He sighed, knowing that his Father only accepted his Mom having a job at the library because it was light work.

"He worried about _us._ He wanted you to finish school and go to college," She pressed, her voice wavering with emotion as she gazed up at him with a desperate glint in her eyes; as though she were terrified that he was ruining his whole life.

"Mom, I really can't have this conversation right now okay? I'm beat and I have a test in first period in the morning. All I want to do is get some sleep," Charles sighed, walking up the stairs towards his room with heavy footfalls. He heard his Mother sniffle and sigh behind him, but he didn't even have the energy to deal with her tears. She just needed to suck up the fact that he needed to work and he would be lucky if he made it to graduation, let alone college. What the hell would he study in college anyways? He was good at the factory, and Paul had kind of taken him under his wing and shown him the ropes. Paul had liked him because he was a fast learner and a fast worker, he just showed up and did his job and kept his fucking mouth shut and his head down. Maybe he had a future at the factory? Kids never got tired of playing with toys right?

It seemed like as soon as he had shut his eyes, his alarm shrilly pierced the air and he groaned as he reached over and gave the off button a good whack.

"Fuck," He croaked, sitting at the edge of his bed with his head in his hands before he hopped up, grabbing clothes at random with his eyes half closed and climbed into the shower.

Moments later he climbed out and began toweling his shoulder length hair, wondering for the hundredth time if he should cut it. Charles shrugged as he plugged in his electric razor and buzzed off the stubble that had grown in at some point between the end of his shift and the four hours of sleep he stole, rinsing the bits of hair down the drain and drying his face before yanking his shirt on over his head and heading downstairs.

"Morning Baby," His Mother handed him a cup of coffee that he upended into a travel mug, toping it off with cream and a shit ton of sugar to wake his dead ass up.

"I gotta go Mom, have a good day at work." He kissed her cheek and avoided her sad and worried eyes.

"What time are you coming home?" She asked him softly.

"Between midnight and one and don't bother cooking, just order Chinese or something yeah?" He asked her, handing over a twenty and dropping his lighter.

"Charles, are you smoking?" She asked wide-eyed.

"Yeah Ma, I smoke. So do you, so did Dad, so does half of the continental U.S. I gotta go," He banged out of the door irritably and unlocked his car, slamming the door shut behind himself.

"What kind of Chinese do you want?" She called out after him as he rolled the window down.

"Surprise me," He grunted, backing out of the driveway and peeling off just as it began to rain.

Charles' ass just barely grazed the seat in first period History as the bell rang and his snippy teacher Ms. Pritchard began passing out the tests.

"Hey Chucky?" He heard a voice to his left whisper, and he rolled his eyes, hoping that these assholes didn't plan on yapping through the entire test and breaking his concentration.

"Chucky?" The whisper again, he glanced up and looked behind him to see who the fuck the girl was trying to flag down as she peered at him from under a beehive of black hair and a pound of makeup expectantly before he realized she had been talking to him.

"Uh, it's Charles actually. What can I do for you?" He asked with a frown, wondering if she needed a pencil or something.

"Charles? Like an old man?" She asked with a chirping giggle.

"Ms. Valentine, Mr. Ray, can you continue this riveting conversation after class?" Ms. Pritchard sneered as she perched her vulture-like visage at the head of the room.

Charles rolled his eyes at the girl and began reading the first question. He remembered her now vaguely from sophomore year, she had asked him out a couple of times, but he had turned her down because she just wasn't his type. He had seen her in her cheerleader uniform surrounded by jocks a few times in the halls and that was _not _his crowd. Sports were for morons. School spirit was for oppressed Zombies. Charles didn't know what type of virus it was that had infected the rest of his brethren but he knew he didn't want to catch it; the day he'd be caught wearing a letterman's jacket would be the day that green pigs could fly.

When the bell rang, he sprang out of his seat and slung his bag over his shoulder; dropping his test onto the growing pile on Ms. Pritchard's desk and heading out to his next class.

"Hey Chu- Charles, wait up!" Beehive and pound of makeup was not going to give it up. _Fuck my life._

"Look, I've gotta get to Biology." He replied as she raced to keep up with his longer stride in her clacking heels.

"Awe come on Charles, I'm sorry about the whole nickname thing, I just think it suits you more." She said breathily as he wove around other students who were racing in the opposite direction for second period.

"Charles suits me just fine," He grit his teeth and shoved passed a group of freshmen who were comparing their schedules against their school maps; clearly lost.

"Sure, whatever you say. Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie later? Or dinner? Or both?" She asked squeakily, nearly colliding with him when he whipped around unexpectedly.

"Look, I'm flattered, but I'm not interested. I really have to get to class," He replied with finality.

"Why? Are you gay or something?" She blurted loudly, halting him in his tracks. The entire hallway grew quiet and the students around them turned in their direction, suddenly much more interested in their proceedings than they were in getting to class.

Charles turned around slowly and stalked back to her, every ounce of control he had spent on keeping himself from hitting her square in the face.

"No, I'm not gay. I just don't like leftovers from six pep rallies and two homecomings ago," He spat icily, savoring the humiliated look on her shocked face triumphantly as he turned away once again and headed into biology.

By the end of eighth period, he was still steaming slightly as he tossed his bookbag in his trunk and slammed the lid shut.

"Fucking bitch," He mumbled under his breath as he jammed the key in the ignition and felt the engine turn over and rumble to life. Charles pulled a cigarette from his pack with his lips and lit it, sighing in satisfaction as the first drag of smoke and nicotine filled his lungs. He peeled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of the gas station to fill up and pick up more smokes and a late lunch before having to head to Play Pals for work again.

The gas station was packed as usual as he pulled in at the pump and got out, slamming the door shut behind him just as said Fucking Bitch and one of the lettermen jackets pulled in.

"Fuck my life," He sighed as he headed in to pay. Charles grabbed two cokes, a bag of chips, and a sandwich and headed to the register.

"Let me get two packs of Marlboro Lights and let me put ten bucks on number eight," He said, handing two twenties to the attendant who rang him up without question as usual. He tossed the bag into the passenger seat and walked around to the pump to fill up, doing his best not to barf as he caught sight of the lettermen and the leftovers smooching in the front seat. God only knew where _that_ mouth had been. Well, God and the football and basketball teams respectively. He heard the car door slam behind him and footsteps approach him as he continued to pump gas; getting ready to relieve some stress before his shift with this fuckers face.

"Hey Ray, Tiffany tells me you got a problem with her?" He asked hotly, coming around the Cadillac and grabbing him by the arm. Charles whipped around, ramming his elbow into the jocks face and smirking when he heard the satisfying sound of cartilage crunching as his nose broke. The jock doubled up holding his face while blood poured down the front of his shirt. Charles grabbed him by the hair and shoved him back in the general direction of both of his rides (Tiffany and his car).

"She's right, you are a fucking faggot." He said, spitting blood onto the asphalt as he charged back towards him. Tiffany was leaning against the car with her arms crossed watching as Charles caught him easily and slammed him against the pump, ripping the nozzle and hose out of his car and slamming the metal nozzle into the jock's temple, making him see stars.

"Listen asshole, I'm gonna shove this so far up your ass that you'll be fucking your Daddy until he starts walking funny, got it? Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll take that piece of trash and get the fuck outta dodge while your face still looks halfway fuckable." He growled, seeing red as he grabbed him by the throat and half-threw him back towards Tiffany, capping his gas tank and hanging the nozzle and hose up before he got back in the driver's seat and slammed his door shut so hard that the window rattled. He caught Tiffany's eye then and frowned when he saw her smiling at him, her eyes glazed over with lust as she regarded him hungrily.

"Sick fucking pup," He muttered as he drove off, leaving a crowd of stunned onlookers in his wake.

Madeleine Ray had just pulled into her driveway when she noticed her Brother-in-laws beat up ford parked at the curb across the street. She sighed irritably as she climbed out of her car, slamming the door in time for her front door to open and Paul to sidle down the stairs smelling of cigars and whiskey as usual.

"Paul, how did you get in the house?" She asked warily; he was known to be quite overly friendly when he was drunk, and it had lead to a couple of disagreements between her late Husband and his brother.

"I got the spare key from under the mat. I missed you Maddie, you haven't even called me once since the funeral," He said, giving her a hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek that made her wince.

"I'm sorry Paul, I haven't had much time for anything besides work and trying to take care of Charles as much as I can on my own. A boy really needs his Father," She replied, her voice wavering with emotion, even six months after his death she couldn't bare to take his clothes out of the closet or his toiletries from the bathroom.

"Henri would have wanted you to be happy; he wouldn't want to see you moping around here like this. Where is that Nephew of mine anyways?" Paul asked curiously.

"He has a part-time job after school, he's been helping me pay the bills and buy groceries. He's such a good boy, Henri would be so proud of him." She said with a distant smile, wishing that Paul would just go home and let her get into the house.

"I'm sure he would Maddie, but enough sad talk, come on and have a drink with me. I want to talk to you about something," He said, heading back to the door and looking at her expectantly.

"You know Paul, I'm really tired after work and I didn't get much sleep last night, maybe we could do this another time?" Madeleine asked, hoping he would just give up and go.

"Awe, come on Maddie, one lousy drink. It'll take five minutes of your precious time and I'll be on my way, alright?" He asked with a supplanting look on his face.

"Ok, but just one and done alright? I'm beat and I want to get some laundry done before Charles gets home," She said, following him inside and tossing her purse and coat onto the couch.

"I understand completely, I bought some of that sherry that you like so much." He said, pouring her a glass and handing it to her as he poured himself a whiskey on the rocks.

"That's very thoughtful of you Paul, thank you." She replied, taking the glass and taking a long sip before taking a seat at the kitchen table and lighting a cigarette.

"It's the least I could do for my favorite Sister-in-law. I gotta say Maddie, you're still so beautiful; I always told Henri that he had hit the jackpot with you. There's just something about any woman with Creole blood in her…. Exotic… one of a kind," He said with a wink as she drained her glass, in a hurry to finish and just get him the fuck out of her house.

"Here, lemme get you a refill." He said, filling her glass again.

"I thought we said one drink," She said, frowning as she noticed how fuzzy her head felt and how strange her voice sounded.

"I said I would have one drink," he laughed, holding up his glass and swirling the ice around. Madeleine laughed too, taking another drag of her cigarette, wondering why she suddenly felt so very light and carefree. It was so funny….. one drink…..

"I think that this wine is getting to my head," She sighed, putting down her glass and trying to stand, but she couldn't get her legs to cooperate.

"Just stay there for a second, I gotta talk to you about something. You're still so young Maddie, and I know that being a widow must be hard on you, a woman who isn't even forty yet has needs. I could help you too you know, with money; I make plenty of money, but it's not everything. Money doesn't keep my bed warm at night Maddie, and I have needs too. I'm sure that we could come to some kind arrangement, don't you think so?" He asked, groping her breast through her blouse, his eyes shining with a combination of lust and alcohol.

"Get your fucking hands off of me! Are you crazy?" Madeleine slurred, weakly shoving away from him, but he gripped her tighter, his mouth working greedily at her neck and shoulders. Madeleine cried out, digging her nails into his biceps as she attempted to shove him away again, only to feel her world spin as he slapped her face hard enough to make her teeth rattle.

"I see that I can't do this the nice way Maddie," He said with a sigh as she held her face in her hands and her vision blurred even further. _The wine….. dear God, he had put something in the wine…._

Madeline heard the _snick-snick_ of a gun cocking and she turned her head towards the sound, terrified that he was going to kill her now because she refused his offer.

"Finish the wine Maddie," He demanded, gesturing to the glass he had refilled. She reached for the glass with shaking hands and gulped it quickly, nearly choking on it she was so nervous. He filled it again as tears coursed down her face, her head felt like it would float off of her body and her heart was beating so fast that she heard it pounding in her ears. Madeleine's hands were numb as she reached for the glass for the last time and drained it, feeling her head reel now as a wave of vertigo overtook her senses.

"Good girl," Paul said, shoving the gun in his waistband and lifting her into his arms, where she hung like a ragdoll as he carried her up the stairs.

"Paul….. please, don't do this. Please…" She begged softly, tears seeping from her eyes into her hair.

"Shhh…. You'll see, we're gonna be happy now. Now that Henri's gone, there's nothing in our way… nothing at all," He kissed her lips and she tasted bile at the back of her throat as she felt the bed beneath her suddenly and felt a drugged surge of panic hit her when she saw the gun make an appearance again.

Madeleine sat up quickly, yanking the lamp from the bedside table and hitting Paul in face with it. The lamp shattered; leaving a large shard in his cheek and a gash at his temple, but it hadn't been enough to knock him out as she had hoped.

"You fucking whore!" Paul charged her like a bull, smashing the pistol against her face and head again and again until blackness claimed her…..

Charles had just maneuvered the last pallet into place as Rich appeared on the docks, giving him a double thumbs-up.

"You're golden Kid," He said, clapping a hand on his back when he jumped down from the forklift. They had made well over their quota for the week and with Charles coming in on the weekend too, they could easily get ahead of schedule and make bonus money on top of their regular pay.

"That was easy enough," Charles said as he admired the rows of neatly wrapped pallets that were ready to be shipped first thing in the morning.

"Easy enough!? I just taught you how to operate that hunk of junk five hours ago! Look at this; this is amazing!" He said happily, shaking his head at Charles' modesty.

"Well, it was easy to me. I'm glad I got it done tonight, I'm looking forward to earning that bonus tomorrow," He said as he grabbed his jacket from the rack beside the timeclock and punched out.

"Here, a little something extra for all the effort you put in this week. You earned it Kid; I'll see you tomorrow at four." He handed Charles an envelope and returned to his office as the graveyard shift began to straggle in with bleary eyes, clutching thermos' of coffee like a drowning man clutches a life preserver.

When he got into his car he peered into the envelope and let out a happy whoop as he pulled out two crisp hundred-dollar bills and shoved the money into his wallet. He should really do something nice for his Mom; he knew that he had been a pain in the ass lately between work and school and that he had skipped at least half a dozen dinners this month alone due to exhaustion after she had taken the time to cook for him, not to mention that his fucking room looked like a FEMA disaster area because he hadn't had time or energy to clean it.

When he pulled into the driveway twenty minutes later, he frowned when he saw that his Mom hadn't left the front porch light on like she normally would have and there were no lights on in the house at all; which was also unusual because she always waited up for him to get home. Charles suddenly felt a strange sense of dread as he bolted from his car and up the stairs to the front door, when he tried the knob, the door opened to admit him easily and his heart sank further.

"Mom?" He called, slamming and locking the door behind him. He flicked lights on as he went, pausing when he saw the empty bottle of wine and the glass of the kitchen table; as well as the half-empty bottle of whiskey and the empty glass beside it. When he saw the two cigar stubs in the ashtray beside the kitchen table, he looked at the bottle of whiskey again and knew that his Uncle Paul had been there. He raced up the stairs two at a time, the tang of stale iron in the air the closer he drew to his parents' room. _Mom's room. Its just Mom's room now because Dad's dead…_

"Mom?" He called again, dreading the heavy silence that answered him, his pulse quickening as he fumbled for the light switch. _I don't wanna see what's wrong. IdontwannaIdontwannaIdontwanna._

"Oh God! Mom? Mom!?" Charles raced to her bedside, at a loss as to where to touch her to find out if she was still breathing; there was blood everywhere he looked, and suddenly some small part of his psyche awakened enough to be present and alert him of two things simultaneously. 1) He needed to call 911. 2) His Mother was naked, and he needed to cover her. He raced to his room to yank his cordless phone off his desk and dialed, grabbing his comforter off his bed before racing back to her side and tossing the comforter over her.

"911, what's your emergency?" The operator asked calmly.

"I need an ambulance, 3515 N. Janssen Avenue. Please hurry," He gasped, placing a shaking hand on his Mothers throat and sighing in relief as he felt a pulse.

"3515 N. Janssen Avenue, got it. Sir, what's your emergency?" The operator asked again.

"It's my Mom…. There's a lot of blood everywhere, I think….. I think she's been r-r-raped," He cried, tangling his hand in his hair in an attempt to stop it from shaking.

"Is your Mother conscious?" The operator asked.

"No, but she has a pulse, I checked. Please hurry, there's a lot of blood….. she needs a doctor," He sobbed, unable to look at her bloody and swollen face anymore.

"The ambulance is on their way sir and they're going to be there shortly. What's your Mother's name sir?" They asked as he doubled over and vomited into the waste basket beside her dresser.

"Madeleine Ray, she's allergic to Penicillin." He replied, racing down the stairs and unlocking the door, leaving it wide open for the paramedics to come in.

"Sir, are you alright? Sir?" The operator asked, but he hung up when he saw flashing lights and heard sirens.

Two Paramedics hopped out and grabbed a stretcher between them, jogging up the front steps and into the foyer.

"Mom's upstairs, she's breathing, but she's unconscious," He said, pointing up the stairs.

"Ok, we'll get her Son, you just stay here with our partner." A third paramedic lead Charles to the couch, where he sank bonelessly as a glass of water was pressed into his hands.

"Sir? What's your name? Can you tell me what happened here tonight?"

_It was Paul. That sonovabitch was as good as dead. He's fucking dead. I just need to make sure Mom gets to the hospital, that's all. Just wait until she gets into the ambulance…._

"Charles Lee Ray. I came home from work and found her," He replied, head in his hands as he pulled his hair back from his face again.

"Where do you work Charles?" This voice was new. A cop.

"Play Pals toy factory. I work there after school," He said, digging his work badge out of his jeans pocket and handing it over.

"Do you have any idea who would want to hurt your Mother? Does she have any enemies?" The cop asked as he scribbled things down into a notebook.

"No, she's a librarian for god sake, what type of enemy would she have?" He asked incredulously as the officer handed him his work badge back.

"Where's your Father?" The officer asked, making Charles flinch.

"He's dead. He died six months ago of heart failure, it's just me and Mom now." He said, raising to his feet when the paramedics appeared with his Mother laid out on the stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped to her face.

"Which hospital are you taking her to?" He asked, relieved when he saw her eyelids flicker and the oxygen mask fog up with her breath.

"Masonic Hospital; though you're welcome to ride in the back of the ambulance with her." The paramedic replied.

"Nah, I'll drive there in a few minutes. No offense, but ambulances give me the willies, I'm a little claustrophobic." He lied easily.

"Well Charles, we need to treat the house as a crime scene for now and look it over for evidence. Would you like us to lock up behind ourselves? Do you have a key?" The officer asked him.

"Yeah I have a key. Will you let me know if you find anything?" He took the officers card and gave him their phone number and the address of the library where his Mom worked.

He gave the ambulance a head start before climbing into his car and lighting a cigarette, thinking about the best way to go about what he had to do tonight. As he began to drive, he made a mental inventory of the things he had in his trunk that would already suit his purpose fairly well; a crow bar, a flashlight, and some rope were the first things that came to mind. There was also the hunting knife that he kept in his glove compartment, and for a moment he weighed the pro's and con's of a bludgeoning versus a stabbing as he died his cigarette out and rolled down his window to get some air. First, he needed to make an appearance at the hospital to make sure his mother was okay and to make sure that people saw him there.

It was 1:35am when Charles pulled into visitor parking at the hospital and leapt out of his car, taking brisk strides into the ER and asking if he could go in with his Mother.

"I'm sorry Charles, but due to the nature and extent of your Mothers injuries, she's been taken straight into the ICU and is being prepped for emergency surgery. I'll page the Doctor and have him come and speak with you as soon as he's able." The charge nurse told him, making his stomach clench tightly and his heart skip a beat. He nodded numbly and walked back to the waiting area; pouring himself a cup of coffee and drinking it black just to give himself something to do. The first cup was intensely bitter, but he drank it anyways and poured himself a second cup; he needed to make sure that he was nice and awake tonight…..

"Charles? I'm Dr. LeClair," A middle-aged man in a lab coat came to greet him and shake his hand.

"How is she?" He asked anxiously, as the doctor motioned for him to sit once more.

"Well, the injuries to her face and head are extensive, and there is some swelling in her brain as well as some internal injuries to her pelvis and uterus. The attack that your Mother suffered was very severe, and even when she physically recovers, I can't really hazard a guess as to how her mental recovery will go. To be honest with you, it may be kinder if the injuries to her head were great enough to cause memory loss." Dr. LeClair explained gently, as Charles tried to wrap his mind around the extent of her injuries.

"So, she was…. Raped? But what happened to her head…. And her face?" He asked in confusion, unable to understand how his Mother was reduced to a bloody pulp by his asshole of an alcoholic Uncle.

"Yes, she was. As far as we can tell, the injuries to her head and face were caused by a blunt object that she was repeatedly struck with. The surgery we are performing is both to reduce the swelling in her brain as well as reconstruction to part of her skull; the operation could take anywhere between four and six hours to complete, and to be honest Son, I think that it would be a good idea to go home and get some rest. There's really nothing that you can do here." He said as kindly as he could as they both stood and shook hands once again.

It was 2:22am when Charles got back into his car and drove to his uncles neighborhood, parking on a corner and shutting off his lights, he retrieved the crow bar from his trunk and slipped it up his sleeve, shoving the coil of rope into his jacket before getting back in the car and silently pulling into the winding drive that lead up to his Uncle's estate. There were several drawbacks to being a rich, egomaniacal prick Charles mused as he parked in the circular drive and got out, _quietly _closing his door before heading up to the house and pulling the spare key out from under a loose brick on the porch. The first drawback that his Uncle had was the fact that he had at one time been quite close to Charles when he had been younger, and he had spent a lot of time here in his youth; so he knew the entire lay of the house. The second drawback was that he had told Charles where he hid the spare key in case Charles got locked out of the house while he was playing on the grounds of the sprawling estate. The third was that Charles knew where the fucking safe was hidden and he knew the combination, so he and his Mother weren't going to be hurting for money much longer. The final drawback was that this prick had the audacity to think that 1) Charles would be stupid enough to not put two and two together when he saw the cigar stubs and the whiskey, and 2) that he wouldn't have the balls to come here and kill him. _Nobody _was ever going to lay a finger on his family and not fucking pay for doing it.

The house was dark when he entered the foyer. He lay the crowbar on the table in the entry way and began to strip until he was completely nude. He had read a book several years back that talked about a serial killer that killed his victims in the buff to avoid leaving blood splatter on his clothes and he thought it would come in handy in this situation. He left his clothes at the door and picked up the crowbar once again, creeping silently up the stairs to the second level of the house; figuring that he would try his Uncle's bedroom first. He slipped into the bedroom quietly, only to find the bed deserted and the ensuite bathroom empty. _Well fuck,_ he thought as he quietly exited the bedroom and crept further down the hall to Paul's study; where he hit the proverbial jackpot.

Charles supposed in retrospect that the final _final_ drawback was that he had gotten so inebriated after attacking and raping his Mother that he hadn't even _bothered_ to change out of his bloody clothes upon arriving home, which not only infuriated Charles as he regarded his Uncle passed out and oblivious in the armchair in front of the fireplace; it also confirmed his suspicions that it had been him in the first place.

He silently slid a poker from the grate and placed it halfway into the flames, letting it heat up until it was nice and white-hot before taking it out and jabbing it into his Uncle's crotch. Paul let loose a gut-wrenching scream as the smell of burning fabric and burning flesh rose in the air around them.

"Surprise asshole!" Charles said cheerfully as he twisted the white-hot metal again, pinning him to the spot as it seared through his scrotum, out his anus, and into the cushion of the armchair below.

"Charles, Charles please…are…. Are you naked?" Paul was sobbing and blubbering in pain and he was enjoying every exquisite moment of it, only wishing that his Mother were here with him to enjoy it too.

"Yeah, I'm sorry that my pasty ass is the last fuckin thing you're ever gonna see; but I really didn't want your pig blood all over my clothes. I hear it's a bitch to get out," Charles replied, heaving the crowbar above his head and letting it swing down as he put all of his weight behind it. He suddenly pictured Tiffany as Paul's head split like a melon hitting cement and the shiver that went down his spine as adrenaline coursed through his veins was pure bliss. For the first time in months it felt as though a great weight was lifting from his shoulders as he whacked away over and over again until the crowbar became too slippery to hold. Charles dropped the weapon and caught his breath, looking over his handy work and shrugging.

"I hope it fuckin hurt," He sneered, as he picked up the crowbar and headed to the bathroom for a shower; he and the murder weapon needed a bath. He chuckled darkly as he pictured himself writing a thank you letter to craftsman tools.

_To Whom It May Concern at Craftsman,_

_Your crowbar is amazing! I bashed my Uncles brains in and what do you know? Not one fuckin dent or scratch! _

Charles let out another bark of laughter as he shut the water off and came back to the study with a few more towels and a damp washcloth. He cleaned up his bloody footprints and wiped his fingerprints from the poker, which was still pinning Paul's body in place. Charles then yanked the poker free and returned it to its place in the grate. The towels and the washcloth he tossed into the fireplace and watched as they burned to ash before he retrieved several Egyptian cotton sheets and two pillowcases from the linen closet and laid the sheets out on the floor in front of the chair. He tipped the chair then, letting the body plunk onto the sheets neatly before he tied the ends up and dragged it to the staircase; kicking it unceremoniously down them.

He left the body tamale in a heap at the foot of the steps and went to the living room, using one of the pillowcases as a makeshift glove to move the picture frame over the mantle to the side and get to the safe behind it. Charles input the combination and began loading all the cash he could see into the other pillowcase; leaving the jewelry, stocks, and bonds in place as well as a few odd stacks of cash so it wouldn't look too suspicious before he shut the safe again and swung the picture back in place. He put the pillowcase full of cash on the table in the foyer and then dragged the body out to his car, hoisting it into the trunk and slamming the lid shut. Charles returned to the house to redress quickly and retrieve the cash and his crowbar; tossing both under the passenger seat as he climbed in and started to drive, thinking about a nice cozy spot in the forest preserve that had 'perverted asshole depository' written all over it.

Charles drove for nearly an hour before he found the secluded path that the campers normally drove down in the summertime to reach the now deserted campgrounds. He drove deeper into the forest, reaching a dead end, killed the engine and sat for a moment to get his wits about him before he dragged the body from the car and headed down a side path with it.

Tiffany had been out driving home from a party when she spotted Charles driving his black Cadillac into the woods and decided to give him a few minutes head start before killing her headlights and following him in at a distance. She knew for a fact that in the direction he was going, there was only a dead end and he would have to walk the rest of the way. Was there a girl with him? A guy? Or was he meeting someone…..? She killed her engine and decided to walk the rest of the way to the dead end, hoping that she could sneak up on the car and see what he was doing there. She walked for ten minutes before she saw the Cadillac abandoned and decided that he must have walked down the path to the left of the car; there was nothing but a wall of trees in every other direction after all. She hesitated for a moment before shrugging and quietly heading down the path after him, wrapping her jacket more tightly around herself as a bitter autumn wind whipped up around her, causing the trees to rain leaves down on her head and the ground at her feet. Tiffany could just make out Charles in the distance, dragging something in the direction of an old cistern where a lot of the kids from their school would hang out to drink and smoke pot in the summer.

She ducked partially behind a pile od felled trees and watched as he pulled the lid off of the cistern and began to hoist something up into it.

"Is that a body?" She called suddenly, causing him to drop the wrapped object in a heap and let out a stream of curses.

"_Tiffany?! _What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked her incredulously as she climbed out from her hiding place and sauntered over to him nonchalantly; as though people met for a chat over a corpse all the time.

"Is it? Is it Mitch? God, I knew you weren't just another guy! I knew you were something special. So who is it? Who did you kill?" She asked breathily, nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet she was so excited.

"The fuck? No, it's not Mitch, whoever the fuck that is. It's my Uncle, he… he hurt my Mom really bad today, so I took care of him. She's in the hospital having surgery because of this piece of shit," he replied, kicking the shrouded corpse at his feet irritably.

"Wow. Who says chivalry is dead, right?" She asked with admiration as he grabbed the shoulders of the corpse again.

"Here, lemme help." She said, grabbing the feet.

_What the fuck was wrong with this girl? She definitely had a fuckin screw loose. Fuck that; the whole toolbox was rattling around…_

In an awkward moment of camaraderie; they hoisted the body into the cistern together, watching as it fell into the hole with a splash and a thud before Charles hoisted its rusty cover back into place.

"So, what are you doing here?" He repeated, unsure of what else to say.

"Helping you dump a body," She replied with a wink as she lit a cigarette.

"Seriously," He deadpanned, lighting one of his own as he headed back in the direction of his car.

"I saw you turn in here and I was wondering why you were heading into the forest at nearly four in the morning," She replied with a giggle.

"Jesus, you followed me? Why can't you just leave me alone? I'm really not interested, I swear." He said, running his hands through his hair in frustration as she tutted behind him.

"Now, now Chucky; is that any way to talk to your Girlfriend?" She asked with a pout.

"You. Are. Not. My. Girlfriend." He ground out, taking a drag of his smoke to keep his hands busy.

"Really? Because, you know who my Father is, don't you? He's a Senator and he's best buds with an awful lot of cops, and I could have sworn I just saw you dump a body into that sewer over there; and if you're thinking of killing me, you better hope they never find my body because you won't ever see the light of day again. Now, are you sure that I'm not your Girlfriend?" She asked pointedly with a knowing smirk; she had him where she wanted him. For now.

"What the hell do you want from me? Why me? I've seen you with a ton of other guys at school," Charles said uncomprehendingly.

Tiffany laughed sweetly for a few moments before sighing and tossing her cigarette away.

"I want you because you've never even given me a second glance while everyone else has drooled over me, and I want you because I like you Chucky; your dangerous." She purred, coming closer to him until he could smell the cloying perfume she always wore.

"So, we go out a few times? Is that what you want?" He asked her, just wanting this night to be over with.

"For starters, yes. I might want more than that too. I might want you to fuck me before you leave these woods tonight, deal?" She asked him, holding up a condom with a question in her eyes.

Charles winced and snatched it from her hands, making his way over to her car as she followed behind him, pulling off her shirt as she went.

_**Back to present day, The Laveau Institute.**_

Lilith sighed as she knocked on the heavy wooden doors and they squeaked open to admit her. She placed one of the Latte's on her Fathers desk, along with the pouch of tobacco; both customary offerings to Papa Legba.

"Ah Lilith, my favorite child. Take a seat," He motioned for her to sit and filled his pipe with some of the dark cherry shag that she had brought, puffing appreciatively as he regarded her with keen red eyes.

"Papa, I've brought the updated inventory and-

Lilith stopped as he held up a hand to silence her.

"Not that; I brought you here to ask you about Charles," He intoned curiously.


	4. Chapter 4: Not All Retrievers Are Golden

**Chapter 4: Not All Retrievers Are Golden…**

When Charles awoke in the early afternoon, he sat up in confusion and looked around before he remembered Lilith, The Institute, Debt to Papa Legba and Damballah Wedo, The Card Game, drinking, Lilith…. Kissing Lilith, touching her, sex. Sex with Lilith. He sprang from the bed suddenly and fell painfully to the floor; realizing belatedly that he hadn't retained his human body that he had morphed back into unexpectedly the night before.

As he stood up, he looked down at himself and sighed softly before looking around for any sign of his….. Girlfriend?

Charles had no idea how this kind of shit worked. Maybe last night had been a one-time thing? After all, she said she had been here for a while and she was probably lonely. He was probably reading way too much into this than he needed to be. _But she said that she still had feelings for him… She had said that she loved him too last night when they were…._

He spotted the note on the bench at the foot of the bed and snatched it up while noticing the assortment of clothes in his size and the pair of new shoes…..

_Charles-_

_I'm sorry I had to run out this morning, but I have a meeting scheduled with my Father and as you can imagine; I can't miss it. Here are some clothes for you, and I've left breakfast out on the coffee table (it'll stay warm until you're ready for it) Please make yourself at home, I'm never sure exactly how many hours I'll be gone._

_Love, _

_Lilith_

Well, okay, that answered some questions. Or did it?

"I'm gonna drive myself fuckin crazy," He sighed, dropping the note back onto the bench before picking out black jeans and a maroon and black flannel shirt and heading to the bathroom for a shower. He noted all the subtle ways that Lilith had tried to make him feel more comfortable here; she had set out an extra toothbrush for him and had placed a stool near the sink for him to be able to reach it, she had also left her handmade cleansing conditioner and a couple of different bars of her handmade soap on the side of the tub, as well as a wash cloth and a stack of clean towels.

Charles luxuriated in the shower as he thought of Lilith and how good she felt last night; how good she had made _him _feel. Memories of their time together in Chicago came flooding back to him and he sighed in frustration when he opened his eyes and shut the water off, catching a glimpse of his doll form in the mirror as he slid the curtain back. His eyes travelled over the bang-up stitching job that had been done on him and his sense of frustration and unease only grew as he tried to ignore his reflection and just brush his damned teeth and dress.

As promised, breakfast was still waiting on him on the coffee table and his eyes widened when he realized that after all this time apart; she still remembered how he liked his coffee. The food was truly delicious, and by the time he had taken his plate to the sink and settled himself on her sofa with an old voodoo spell book (in French-Creole no less), he was much more relaxed than he had been when he had initially woken up. Charles had become so absorbed in the collection of complex spells and magic in the old text that he hadn't realized how much time had passed until he began to feel cold; realizing when he glanced up that the fire had gone out.

He climbed off of his comfortable place on the sofa reluctantly and tossed another few logs in before striking a wooden match from a jar that Lilith kept on the coffee table and tossing it on top, holding his hands in front of the grate to warm them just as he heard the door open and shut behind him.

"Yes, I know, and I realize that. You aren't the first to fail on this type of mission and I fear that you won't be the last either; Father has already said a more powerful practitioner is required. You're being recalled immediately, Javier. He already has your next assignment," Lilith hung up her phone with a sigh as she dropped her bag onto the coffee table and turned towards Charles with a smile.

"Hey," She greeted, giving him a peck on the lips and a hug before she sank onto the sofa behind her.

"Geeze, tough day? That conversation didn't sound too good," He said hesitantly as he studied her slumped posture and sleepy eyes.

"Meh, nothing new really; just more complicated than usual. How was your day? I'm sorry I had to leave so early, I ju-

But Charles had moved forward and captured her lips once more, sighing as he savored the taste of coffee and cinnamon and let the smell of her soft perfume surround him.

"My day was fine; you've got some interesting reads." He replied, smirking when he saw her take a shuddering breath as the effects of their kiss lingered.

"Well, you know me; avid book worm." She said with a shrug, her cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment. He remembered her sensitivity about being a "nerd".

"You mean super sexy and amazingly brilliant?" He asked, making her roll her eyes and nibble on her full bottom lip, but he could tell that the compliment pleased her.

"So, are you hungry? I am freaking starved!" She said, rising and moving into her tiny kitchen.

"Yeah, I could definitely chow down." He replied as he watched her, his eyes lingering on her curves and the swell of her breasts.

"Okay, so what are you in the mood for? I can get my hands on whatever you have a taste for." She asked, pouring herself a tall glass of iced tea.

"How 'bout I cook for you for a change? It's the least I can do after the day it seems like you've had." He offered.

"Really? I didn't know you cooked," Lilith smiled; stepping away from the kitchen and approaching him slowly before kissing him once more, smiling as she felt him transform under her fingers.

Charles gasped when he felt the odd tingling up and down his spine for the second time in twenty-four hours, and when he opened his eyes; he was gazing down at her from his customary human height again.

Lilith smiled up at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips before shrugging and smiling

"I thought that that would make navigating the kitchen a little bit easier on you, I'm just sorry that I can't make it permanent. I know it must be disappointing for you," She sighed sadly, caressing his face and staring up into his sapphire eyes.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up okay? Just being able to be like this again for a little while is amazing! You have no idea what it means to me….. just to be able to hold you like this again," Charles said, cupping her cheek in his hand and kissing her forehead softly as he inhaled her scent and sighed contentedly. Lilith's hand trailed down his chest and over his abs before her stomach gave a loud growl and they broke apart laughing.

"I better get cooking Lil'" He said, getting a pot and a saucepan out and putting it on the range.

"The fridge is charmed to give you whatever you want, you just have to think of what it is before you open it and it'll appear." She explained, flicking on the T.V. and beginning to browse Netflix.

"That's useful," He said in surprise, as he paused in front of the fridge and thought of what he needed before opening the door and chuckling as he pulled out fresh shrimp, onions, garlic, green peppers, celery, and fresh tomatoes.

"Are the cabinets charmed the same way Love?" He asked her as he arranged ingredients on the counter.

"You know it," She replied with a smile at the pet name he called her.

Charles smirked, turning to the cabinets and retrieving the spices and rice he needed to complete the meal he had in mind.

Lilith selected an episode of twilight zone and curled her feet up on the sofa as Rod Serling began his narration. She must have seen these episodes hundreds of times, but they had been a staple in her home when she was growing up and they were more of a familiar comfort than anything else as she mulled over the issue of the artifact that her Father needed to retrieve and the failed attempts that had occurred with the other Retrievers that he had assigned to obtain it. Short of going out into the world and getting it back herself, she really hadn't had any other ideas as to what to do; but her Father had asked her about Charles, and she had balked. She loved him with all of her heart, had fallen for him hard and fast in Chicago and hadn't lost any of those feelings since, but deep down inside she was scared too. Afraid that he didn't feel the same though he said and acted differently, afraid that this was just a fling after years of loneliness and issues with that girl that had blackmailed him after he had murdered his Uncle. Lilith had always been insecure about herself ever since she could remember, ever since she had seen her reflection in the mirror for the first time….

_**Flashback; New Orleans Laveau Manor**_

Marie Laveau swung her long plait over her shoulder as she chopped the roots on her worktable precisely, reveling in the warmth of the New Orleans heat on her tanned skin, her eyes a brilliant honey in the sun's rays as they filtered through the antique windows.

"Fetch me those jars from the cellar Lilith, this lot is ready to be stored. Then you can get me my salve from the vanity upstairs; root-working dries the skin." She reminded her Daughter as she set down her knife and carefully washed her hands before reaching for her perspiring glass of lemonade.

Lilith disappeared into the cellar and stretched up on her tiptoes to switch the light on, nearly toppling down the steps in the process before regaining her balance and taking the familiar path down the anciently worn steps to her Mother's root cellar, swatting the cobwebs out of her face as she went. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the crate of mason jars were covered in a thick layer of dust, like nearly everything else in the damp cellar was.

"Don't ya dare blow that dust off Lilith!" Marie called, seemingly reading her mind.

"I know Mom!" She called, hefting the heavy crate and carefully carrying it up the stairs.

"Good. You just might make a good Practitioner yet," Marie sniffed as Lilith set the crate down and brushed her hands off on her jeans.

"Now get that salve dearie while I clean up here," She shooed Lilith in the direction of the hallway that lead to the stairs up to the main level and beyond.

"Okay," She replied with a shrug, hurrying away again.

Lilith loved the Manor with its cathedral ceilings, rich green marble floors, and antique furnishings. She smiled as she watched the kaleidoscope of colors from the stained-glass spill across the floors and onto her arms and her normally snow-white hair, turning her normal pallor red, green, gold, and blue. Lilith absolutely hated her skin and hair; which was so very different from her Mother's lovely tan complexion or her Fathers bronzed mahogany. Instead, Lilith felt like colorless parchment as she gazed down at her body in disgust. She climbed the steps and watched the colors shift and change on her body as she ascended, imagining what it would be like if she was _normal._ She imagined how beautiful she would be if she only had tan skin, brown or black hair, and honey-colored eyes like her Mom; and if only she could grow up to be tall! She sighed as she passed one of the full-length mirrors in the hallway that was draped in thick, heavy cloth to hide her reflection from view. Her Mother said that she had had an incident when she was a toddler and she had seen her reflection and she didn't want Lilith to repeat it; so Lilith had never remembered seeing her own reflection in the mirror, and she wondered what she looked like. Her Mother had been very strict about keeping the mirrors in the house covered, and she knew the kind of trouble she would be in if her Mom caught her peeking, but she really wanted to see. She couldn't even remember what color eyes she had and whenever she had asked her Mom, Marie would simply scowl and change the subject. Her Father was always away working, but the few times a year that he did visit them he hadn't been any help to her either, telling her that they were beautiful just like she was. Which really wasn't any kind of answer at all.

When she stepped into her Mother's bedroom with its rich crème and gold décor, she frowned at the vanity with its thick velvet curtain and stepped forward with determination, her hand shaking as she reached for the curtain, the sun's rays blazing in her face through the balcony doors and nearly blinding her as she yanked the fabric down. At first, Lilith stood there, blinking dots out of her vision from the blaring sunlight before looking up into her own alabaster face and freezing when she caught sight of her eyes. Lilith gaped as the light filtering through the window lit upon her maroon irises; making them turn from deep ruby to a glowing blood-red. She was a demon….

She was a _Monster…_

Lilith screamed and screamed, backing away from the mirror in disbelief before she turned and ran; shoving passed her bewildered Mother who had been running up the stairs towards her in alarm. She ran down the stairs, through the entryway, and through the door before she began to scream for an entirely different reason; the sun itself.

Lilith couldn't go outside during the day while the sun was out because her sensitive skin was severely allergic to unfiltered sunlight. She fell to her knees and curled up in pain, squeezing her eyes shut and touching her forehead to her knees in agony.

"Lilith! Come here my girl, it's okay. Papa's here now, it's okay.." Her Father soothed as he scooped her up from the porch and rushed inside, magicking the curtains shut and wrapping her in a thick blanket before cuddling her in his arms protectively.

"What am I? What happened to me?!" She sobbed hysterically, clutching his shirt desperately; silently imploring him to help her.

_**The Laveau Institute: Present Day**_

"…Lil? Are you okay?" Charles was crouched in front of her with a look of concern in his eyes when she came crashing back to reality.

"Yeah….. yeah I'm fine," She replied, sitting up and wiping her eyes quickly.

"Yeah, you seem like it," He replied with a frown, snatching a tissue from the box on the coffee table and handing it to her.

Lilith took it reluctantly and dried her eyes with a sigh.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something that happened a long time ago." She said hesitantly.

"Well, come to the table and eat and we can talk about it," He offered her his hand and she smiled as he helped her up and put his arm around her waist to guide her to the table.

"Oh wow, it smells delicious! I can't believe you never told me that you could cook!" Lilith exclaimed as they dug into the Shrimp Creole he had made with gusto.

"Yeah, I had to take over for a few years after my Mom's…. incident." He said uncomfortably and Lilith took his hand in her own to comfort him.

"You were a really good Son…. And a really good…." Lilith chuckled anxiously and sighed.

"I know this isn't the best time to ask this, but if I don't know the answer soon, I feel like I'm going to rip my heart out and feed it to something," She confessed in frustration, her hands raking through her hair none too gently as he met her eyes, silently urging her to continue.

"Charles…. What are, I mean do you want, ugh! This is so fucking hard!" Lilith stammered, hiding her face in her hands.

"Really? We've literally talked about everything together; what the hell could be so hard for you to say?" He asked, perplexed. Lilith knew everything about him; his Mother's attack by his Uncle, the fact that he had killed his Uncle, his blackmail by Tiffany, the fact that he nearly vomited every time he had to have sex with her to keep her quiet, all of his murders thereafter out of his frustration with his continued forced relationship with her. If anything, Lilith should feel comfortable enough to tell him whatever was on her mind at this point,

"Charles, I'm in love with you and I don't expect you to feel the same way, I mean; how could you? But I was really wondering what we are now. Like, do you want this to continue just as a friends with benefits thing or did you want something more serious? But, I mean really, no pressure and you can think about it and you don't have to answer me now if you don't want to I just… what?" She had been talking at least a mile a second with her brake line cut and Charles had begun to laugh; not in a cruel way at all, but in his sweet and charismatic way that he only really ever showed to her and her alone.

"Its just that, I was thinking the same thing when I woke up today and its been bugging the hell out of me all day too," He confessed in a relieved tone.

"Oh, really? So how, I mean; what should we do?" She asked awkwardly, wishing not for the first time in her life that the damned ground would just open up and swallow her whole.

"Lilith, I told you last night that I loved you; and I was still under the influence of whatever the hell truth serum you gave me I might add, so you know that I'm not lying. I really do love you; I always have…. I always will. Why would you say that you don't expect me to feel that way? I don't understand," He said, reaching out to take her hand again.

"Fuck Charles, are you kidding me? Look at me," Lilith's voice shook, and she jumped slightly when a glass in the sink behind them shattered as she fought for control of her emotions and her powers all at once.

"I am looking at you, and aside from how beautiful you are and how much I always want you, the only thing I'm thinking about is how we should probably stock up on extra dishes," He teased, making her smile again as she picked up her fork and began to eat.

"So…. Where do we go from here?" Lilith asked hesitantly.

"I really don't know if there is a word that would encompass what we are to each other, but if you really have to define it; I guess Girlfriend and Boyfriend would do it for now." He replied pensively, thinking about how ludicrous the term Girlfriend sounded when he thought about how he felt about her and what they had always shared with each other.

"So, what's bothering you? Did something happen between you and your Dad earlier?" He asked her curiously, knowing that dealing with Papa Legba on such an intimate basis couldn't be easy.

"Not in the sense that you might be thinking, despite what Papa seems like outwardly to strangers; he's actually very kind and loving, especially to me. I am his youngest child after all, and perhaps his last; after all the issues he's had with Mom." She said thoughtfully with a frown.

"So what happened? What about this guy that you were talking to earlier that's being reassigned?" He asked curiously.

"He's one of Papa's Retrievers," Lilith said as Charles poured her a glass of wine and she sipped it gratefully.

"As in Golden?" He asked hesitantly, making her laugh again.

"No. Although, I suppose that some of the aspects of the job aren't completely un-canine like. A Retriever is an agent of sorts who is given assignments of varying degrees of difficulty depending on their skills as a practitioner as well as Papa's level of trust with them. Papa employs a number of them at any given time; some of them are in his debt, and some of them are just ambitious and anxious to prove themselves. The artifact that Javier had been assigned to retrieve has been gone for a long stretch of time now, and Papa would like it back in his possession, but two Retrievers have failed already… and he…." Lilith swallowed as she hesitated, drinking the rest of her wine in an attempt to stall and gather her wits.

"Lil, it's okay. Does he want you to retrieve it now? Is that what's got you so anxious?" Charles asked uncertainly as she reached for the wine bottle, but he stilled her hand, and she met his eyes briefly before sighing in resignation.

"He asked me about you, but there's nothing about you that he doesn't already know. He's a Loa; it comes with the territory." Lilith said shakily, stabbing a shrimp with her fork with a bit more force than was necessary.

"Okay… so, what does he want me to do?" He asked, knowing the answer already.

"He wants you to retrieve it as a test; he says that there's a part of you that needs to prove itself, a part of you that you tried to let die a long time ago. You know…. The part of you that's good." She explained.

"Okay, so I go and get this artifact for him and bring it back. I am capable of following directions you know, I'm not completely useless," He said, trying to keep the tone of sarcasm out of his voice.

"Ugh! You don't get it, do you? There are tests along the way too! Temptations, urges, possibly even spells and jinxes. The Petro Loa are still just as active as the Rada Loa are, you know that more than anyone else." Lilith said irritably, afraid that Charles was being a bit too optimistic about the dangers involved.

"You don't think I know that? I've been practicing for a long time Lilith! I've seen the best and worst of what can happen. Obviously your Father wants me to go through with this, so it's not like I have a choice-

"Yes you do! You don't have to go through with this. You can just stay here….. with me… if you wanted to." She said, choking back a sob.

"Even if I do have that choice Lilith, he still must mistrust me. Hell, if you were my Daughter, I would mistrust me. He's offering me this chance for a reason and he knows that I have to prove myself to him and to everyone if I ever want to have you by my side forever," He blurted; his eyes widening as he realized what he just said out loud.

"What? What are you saying?" Lilith breathed as he cupped her face in his hands and thumbed her tears away.

"Lilith….. change me back, just for a moment. I wanna show you something." He said, his hands shaking slightly as his nerves got the better of him.

"Okay….." She replied uncertainly as she released him from her magic slowly and he reappeared in his cursed form of the ginger doll.

Charles took a deep breath in a futile effort to calm his anxiety as he dug around in his pocket before his smaller hand clasped what he had been looking for.

"Lilith….. do you remember the night that I died? The night that I gave you my Gris-Gris doll to hold onto and I told you that I was coming back to take you away with me?" He asked her, searching her eyes as she nodded.

"Of course I remember, how could I forget?" She asked him, getting out of her chair and kneeling in front of him, not liking her current position looking down at him.

"I should've just taken you with me and ran for it then, but I had to go back to my place first to get this; and Tiffany was waiting for me. She had seen us together and she knew that I couldn't stand her and that I wanted you and…. And that I was in love with you. This belonged to my Mother, but I lied to Tiff and told her that I had stolen it from a murder victim so she would keep her damned paws off it, not that it worked entirely," Charles pulled the ring out of his pocket and held it out to Lilith, who was looking between him and the ring uncomprehendingly.

"Lilith, I was going to ask you to run away with me that night… to elope, I guess for lack of a better term. I've never felt the way I feel for you about anyone and if I wanted you forever then, my feelings haven't changed now; if anything they've just gotten stronger. I still want forever… but I need to talk to Papa Legba first. I have to do something right for once in this stupid life of mine; I have to pass this test. But I want you to hold onto this for me this time, it's always belonged to you anyways." Charles held out the ring to her and she gasped as he placed it on her left hand. Lilith kissed him again passionately, her heart soaring in her chest as she pulled him closer; doll form be damned.

Charles broke the kiss reluctantly and sighed. Were they always doomed to be interrupted by one crisis of the Universe or another?

"What's wrong?" She asked when he pulled away and ran a small hand through his red hair.

"I have to talk to your Dad," He repeated, climbing onto his vacant chair and downing the last of his wine.

"What, now? Why? His assignment for you can wait awhile, Javier hasn't even returned yet," Lilith said flippantly; really not giving a shit about anything other than Charles at the moment.

"Not only the assignment, I have to ask him permission to marry you, I told you I want to do things right for a change." He reiterated, making her gape at him.

"Seriously? I'm sorry, but Dad has zero say in this. This is what I want, period. He's either okay with it or he's not; I really don't care either way." She replied defiantly making Charles' eyes widen considerably at her response.

"Lilith…. Jesus, I've never seen you like this. Listen Sweetheart, we have to do this the right way. I don't want to cause trouble for either of us, okay?" He asked her quietly, kissing her again and inhaling sharply in surprise when he felt her hand travel lower and grasp his growing erection.

"You definitely can't see Dad like this," She sighed, transfiguring him back to his Human form once again.

"Fuck…" He hissed as she worked her way easily into his pants with her velvet fingers and palm.

"You read my mind," She whispered seductively as he nipped her neck, savoring the taste and smell of her once more.


End file.
